Ironton man convicted of killing St. Paul heroin dealer

An Ironton, Minn., man was convicted Tuesday for killing a St. Paul man last summer during an attempted robbery.

Andre T. Johnson, 35, was convicted in Ramsey County District Court of two counts each of second-degree murder and second-degree assault for fatally shooting Roy Burgess, 50, and wounding another man.

According to court records: Johnson plotted with his mother to rob Burgess at his home in the 400 block of E. Arlington Avenue on July 6. Johnson targeted Burgess because Burgess allegedly carried large amounts of cash from dealing heroin.

Johnson accosted Burgess with a rifle shortly after midnight as Burgess was leaving his home. He fatally shot Burgess and wounded another man in the leg and buttocks.

Johnson was arrested after shell casings from his home were found to match casings at the crime scene.

Johnson was convicted in Ramsey County District Court in 1997 of first-degree assault and illegal possession of a firearm for shooting a pizza delivery man, paralyzing him from the waist down. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison for that shooting, and was freed in March 2010 on supervised release.